Take Heart: Pioneering Cardiologist to Address Rhythm Disorders at World Medical Tourism Congress

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Aug. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Abnormal heart rhythms no longer have to be precursors to stroke, according to Dr. Saumil R. Oza, a pioneering electrophysiologist and speaker at the 7^th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, Sept. 20-24, 2014, in Washington, D.C., the Medical Tourism Association® announced today.

“We have patients coming from as far as South Florida, South Carolina, as far west as Georgia,” said Oza, M.D., FACC, a resident at St. Vincent’s Riverside Medical Center in Jacksonville, who performed the first Lariat procedure on a patient in Florida. The groundbreaking nonsurgical procedure uses sutures to tie off the left atrial appendage, the primary source of blood clots that lead to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Jacksonville is positioned to become a medical tourism hub for the 2-3 million Americans who suffer from atrial fibrillation. Oza said half of those patients are potentially eligible for the Lariat procedure. Considered the most common heart rhythm disorder in the United States, atrial fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat fast and erratically. Left unattended, atrial fibrillation can have serious health consequences including stroke and premature death.

Oza will be among the speakers addressing new innovative procedures during the Medical Director’s Summit, which convenes professionals from top hospitals and insurance companies from across the globe to share their experiences and identify and solve issues that bear significantly on the medical tourism and healthcare industries. For a preliminary list of speakers, go to: http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com/speakers_year/2014-speakers/

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress attracts some 3,000 key stakeholders – hospital administrators, doctors and clinicians, employers, government policy makers, insurance executives, facilitators, and hospitality and tourism interests. In addition to the Medical Director’s Summit, the Congress agenda features the 5th Ministerial Summit, the 2^nd Global Women’s Leadership Summit, regional and industry forums, and educational workshops included among more than 1,000 networking meetings for up to 200 qualified buyers of healthcare.

Participants, sponsors and invited speakers can keep abreast of Congress updates at www.MedicalTourismCongress.com or make an impact today on the Congress networking platform at http://www2.mtcongress.com/wmtc-networking/

About the Medical Tourism Association®
The Medical Tourism Association® is the first membership-based international nonprofit trade organization for the medical tourism and healthcare industry made up of top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliates committed to promoting the highest level of quality healthcare to patients in a global environment. www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com